The present invention relates to a device for recoilless firing of a missile from a launching tube with the aid of a gas generator which produces a gas which forces the missile out of the launching tube.
When firing a missile from a launching tube, it is previously known to use a gas generator to produce a propellant gas which forces the missile from the launching tube. The advantage of utilizing a gas generator instead of a booster motor on the missile is, among other things, that the weight of the missile can be minimized, while simultaneously eliminating the problem of disengaging the booster motor from the missile after it has been fired.
A gas generator can be placed either inside the launching tube, at its rear part, or outside, and the propelling gas produced can then be conveyed to the rear part of the launching tube via a pipe.
The propelling gas produced in the gas generator is at high pressure, and retains sufficient driving pressure upon entering the space behind the missile, which gives the missile an acceleration forwards in the launching tube.
In order to achieve an appropriate distribution of the pressure behind the missile and freedom from recoil, previously known embodiments have provided deflection screens, nozzles etc. to direct the gas flow emitted from the gas generator. The surfaces which the gas flow strike must then be made of a material capable of withstanding the high velocities and temperatures developed in the propelling gas, making the device much more expensive.